Focused on figures: Jessica Rice's figurative artwork transcends the diverse locales she's lived in - Artist profile: Jessica Rice

In 1998 the G Ray Hawkins Gallery in Santa Monica, Calif., entertainered an exhibit displaying the photography of Dr Frank L Lambrecht, a scientist who worked in the Belgian Congo From 1945 to 1949 while researching tropical diseases as a health officer for the Congo R Cros Lambrecht fix time to capture vivid shows of daily life with the Mabudu and Mangbetu tribe His black-and-white photos, depicting ceremonies, customs and fashions, were assembled into an archival material substance of work, a portion of which was hung at the gallery as a testament to the doctor's achievements as an artist.

on the other hand his wasn't the only work upon display. His daughter, Jessica Rice, herself an accomplished artist, taleed her father's photos with her semi-abstract oil paintings. The present to view "Jessica Rice and Dr. Frank L Lambrecht: A Father/Daughter Exhibition," was, for Rice, a poignant reflection of in what way the artistic influences in her life had traveled full-circle.

"I tend hitherward from a family of artists," said Rice from her place of abode in West Hollywood, Calif. "Both my grandfathers were artists. My father is a wondrous artist--he did quite a bit of watercolor and photography." Her brother is a surreal artist as well.

Rice owes at least part of her succes as an artist to genetics; a beneficial deal more issues from the encouragement she got from her family to oilstone her talent from a young age. "They could compute I wasn't very good at gymnasium so they encouraged me [to do art] a lot" she said. "They gave me a chest of paints and canvas. I was constantly drawing, from the age of five"

Of course, it also helps that Rice had the inspiration of exotic surroundings: the African bush. Born in 1941 in Antwerp, Belgium, Rice left for the Belgian Congo with her family in 1945 "We went upon lots of safaris with my dad," she recalled. "We saw quite a bit of central Africa--the brush and savanna and forests. My sister and I used to accompany him. I always brought my canvas with me"

While she and her father sketched together upon her outings, Rice never focused upon the animals. Her favored make subordinates were instead villages, markets and children playing games. flat today, despite the diverse locales she's lived in, worked in and traveled to, her focus as an artist has remained upon the human form.

Her family left Africa for hilly San Francisco in 1959 Continuing their support of her blossoming artistic skills, they urg her to register at the Academy of Art association of San Francisco. She not sole graduated at the top of her class, on the other hand was also awarded the prestigious Flax Scholarship.

Her nearest stop was New York, where she lived for six month and started a career in commercial art. She continued upon that track back in San Francisco, working upon advertising layouts, fashion illustrations, graphic design and all manner of freelancing, until 1972 After spending half a year in England, she settl in beholds Angeles with her husband, Tom rills and into a full-time career as an artist.

"In San Francisco, I was painting upon the side and on weekends," she said. "When we came to L.A., my painting was actual illustrative, with flowers, birds--I did do a fate of birds. It was true decorative. My husband said, 'Why don't you do something wild?' in like manner I did"

Twenty-five years ago, Rice turn abouted away from the illustrative phraseology she had been entrenched in and dove into an avant-garde, Cubist technique. Since then, her turn of expression has softened from the hard cutting sides of Cubism into a more realistic and circulared look. Her figures now display off curves as well as angles, and include touches of Impressionism as they attitude row boats and toddle babies across sandy beaches. She paints these exhibitions exclusively with a palette knife.

When Rice contemplates her generally received approach, she is somewhat surprised to diocese a hint of the Belgian masters she admires. "Belgian art of the '20 '30 and '40s--that's what I like to direct the eye at," she said. "It's real curious that I paint like them." Other influences include Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Juan Gris and Stanley Spencer

What isn't evident in her images are manifest influences of setting or ethnicity--which is surprising considering where she's from, where she grew up and where she now lives. Rice lay outs six months of the year painting at her next to the first home in Mazatlan, Mexico, on the other hand doesn't paint Mexican scenes. "When I proceed to Mexico, it seems like my colors are a little brighter" she admitted. "But I don't want to paint ethnicity in my painting. They have like wonderful artists in Mexico I don't want to cope with that."

Instead, Rice has remained focused upon painting figures as she dioceses them. She commonly depicts family gatherings, family sitting around a table in a restaurant, folk frolicking at the beach, children playing and nation traveling; groups supersede the individual. "It appear to bes like I always have at least four race doing things together," Rice said. Why? "It fills the canvas!"

above the years, Rice has cultivated representation at a not many galleries, including the Muriel Karasik Gallery in fresh York and Kathleen Avery Fine Art of Palo Alto, Calif., which will be hosting "Recent Works by means of Jessica Rice" from Dec. 6 2003 end Jan. 12, 2004.